ARE THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS THE NEXT TARGET FOR A NAME CHANGE? In the San Francisco Chronicle, Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, the archbishop of San Francisco writes:

Symbols are communally created and communally shared. The naming of sports teams is right now carrying this larger symbolic battle. Which places ardent sports fans with a conscience in a real dilemma. Personally, I was horrified when I learned the history of California early in the American era (who wouldn’t be?); nonetheless, I still feel an emotional attachment to the name of our local football team. Which points to a notable quirk of our human nature: It is easy to tell someone else to change the name of their team or place or take down a monument when you are emotionally detached, but when it is personal, all of a sudden it looks and feels very different.

When is it acceptable to retain a name or monument when the historical record is mixed, and when does the reparation of injustice require a change? Does the name “49ers” honor a generation that committed unspeakable crimes against a vulnerable population, or does it refer to a pivotal moment of history that defined the life of our city then and far into the future? Such decisions should be made, not in the wake of acts of vandalism perpetrated by bands of aggrieved citizens, but in the context of reasoned debate based on historical accuracy and the weighing of moral principles.

Read the whole thing.